Women’s Tennis

Sophomore Erin Larner was named the Big Ten Women’s Tennis Athlete of the Week by the conference Tuesday after winning both singles and doubles matches this past weekend.

Against Purdue, Larner — currently ranked No. 82 in the nation — opened the weekend with a 7-6 (4) victory at No. 3 doubles, alongside junior Jillian Rooney, to clinch the doubles point for the Wildcats. Larner then defeated the Boilermakers’ Nicole Robinson in straight sets on the top singles court to put Northwestern on the verge of its eventual victory.

On Sunday, Larner and Rooney dispatched Indiana’s No. 3 doubles team in a quick 6-2 decision, before Larner closed her dominant weekend with a 7-6 (3), 6-0 victory over No. 90 Paula Gutierrez.

Her two wins helped propel NU past the Hoosiers to keep the Cats’ Big Ten record unblemished after seven games. In singles play, Larner is also undefeated against conference opponents.

Overall, Larner is 7-3 at No. 1 singles and 11-5 in dual play. She will have the opportunity to add to her resume Friday when the Cats take on Penn State on the road, and then Sunday when they travel to Columbus to tackle the Buckeyes.

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Twitter: @GarrettJochnau